snippiness

[onlinespending]

well, ckessel makes a good point of there being two different pricing models. Hence my statement about there not being consistent pricing across the board. This isn't simply someone wanting to pick parts of a package and expecting a lower cost. It's not as if someone's saying "I just want the NAV part of the tech package and don't want to pay for Xenon headlamps!". Tough, because the pieces of the tech package aren't offered a la carte. But the wheels are priced as individual upgrades for the base car, and the upgrade price is clearly shared for each option. But when you want the performance edition of the car, you're forced into paying the same price regardless of which wheels you choose. It'd be one thing if the only way to get the 21" wheels were as a part of the Performance package, and if that were the only option. Then you could see people swapping since you wouldn't even have that option to choose your wheels.

And yes, I'm sure you'd feel slightly different if you had your heart set on the 19" wheels but wanted the performance edition. I doubt I'll get the Perf edition, but I can certainly sympathize with those that want the 19" wheels.

[AnOutsider]

To me the main issue is that If I can get 21" performance wheels for no 'extra' cost and someone wants them who obviously doesn't have the option since they aren't getting a performance model S
I want to help someone get what they want

I think that's the norm. Even on other boards members do the same (meaning other car boards). Very often people will take the "free" expensive option as part of a package, then trade (plus cash) for the cheaper option if that's what they want.

I'm not going to go research other manufacturers. The point in this thread has been clear: 1) people want to pay for the wheels they're getting, and 2) the fact this thread exists shows Tesla isn't meeting a customer need/expectation.

Here we go again with you being aggressive. I believe someone also called you a whiny baby (in less-positive words), what does that have to do with anything? If you're not going to be bothered to research similar situations, how can you get all worked about about Tesla being somehow wrong?

Also, I posted numerous times that I'm willing to buy standard 21" from anyone who doesn't want them as I'd like to have a performance set and a silver set. I hope that allows me to continue to discuss things officer.

[ckessel]

Here we go again with you being aggressive.

I was being blunt. Why are you now getting personal? That's beyond blunt into rude.

Someone once called you the resident contrarian. We were all having a really nice discussion until you stepped in with your CAPITAL letters to tell us all how unreasonable we are.

[AnOutsider]

I was being blunt. Why are you now getting personal? That's beyond blunt into rude. We were all having a really nice discussion until you stepped in with your CAPITAL letters telling the rest of us we're wrong.

You're not looking for a tire swap and you've said the tire pricing doesn't matter to you. Just buy another set from Tesla if you want them.

So why are you here? Simply to stir things up and tell the rest of us we're wrong? Someone called you the resident contrarian due to that behavior.

Seriously dude, WTF is your problem? I'm not harping on anyone that they were wrong, and before I came in? I had the second post in the thread (which you actually responded to). I'm 100% in support of wheel swapping, there's nothing contrary there. As far as getting personal, you don't think your post trying to dismiss my opinion as simply being contrarian since someone else said it isn't getting personal?

I seriously don't get it, but I'm willing to just agree to disagree and walk away from this if all it's going to result in is this level of bickering.

[ckessel]

I'm not harping on anyone that they were wrong.

Uh huh, so what was your purpose here?

Personally, I'm not fussed. ... It's a PACKAGE after all.

The message is we should all be not fussed like you?

[AnOutsider]

Come on...Friendly thread

Precisely. So to reiterate post #3, if anyone plans to have a spare set of the 21" in silver (for whatever reason), please keep me in mind (local or not).

[widodh]

Please, people, can we just stay nice to each other here? I know we are al anxtious to receive our Model S, but keep it down a bit

[bonnie1194]

Agree with widodh. People need to tone it down. EVERYONE. The potshots are annoying, juvenile, and not constructive.

Let's all put on our big boy pants and move on.

[brianman]

I think what triggered the negative tone was this:

Look at this secondary market Tesla has created for its wheels/tires, all because it didn't do the common sense thing and keep the wheel/tire pricing consistent across the board

And, no, I'm not picking on this post... just evaluating.

The way this is phrased it's an attack on Tesla decision-making. In subsequent posts, AnOutsider was making the point (I think) that it's apparently fairly standard for the auto industry. When he provided a directly comparable example, the tone of the response was interpreted as dismissive -- which made things worse.

Does that make it a "good thing"? I don't know.
Does that make Tesla "just like the other guys"? Perhaps.
Does this decision imply Tesla doesn't have common sense? Definitely no.

[onlinespending]

I think what triggered the negative tone was this:

And, no, I'm not picking on this post... just evaluating.

The way this is phrased it's an attack on Tesla decision-making. In subsequent posts, AnOutsider was making the point (I think) that it's apparently fairly standard for the auto industry. When he provided a directly comparable example, the tone of the response was interpreted as dismissive -- which made things worse.

Does that make it a "good thing"? I don't know.
Does that make Tesla "just like the other guys"? Perhaps.
Does this decision imply Tesla doesn't have common sense? Definitely no.

Not to derail this any further, but I too was just making an observation. It was not an attack on Tesla, but even if it were, it needn't be defended as if I had made a personal attack on anyone here (which I would never do). I still stand by my original assessment. I find it amusing that there's this whole need to swap wheels when it could have been avoided had the wheel pricing model been held consistent between the non-performance edition and the performance edition. They'd almost be better off only offering the 19" wheels for non-performance models and only the 21" wheels for the performance model. It'd be more restrictive, but at least it'd be consistent. And if people wanted to depart from the standard wheels for their respective edition, then they could swap. People would be swapping purely due to the fact that they can't get the option, not because of some arbitrage situation created by Tesla.

AnOutsider claimed this is industry standard and then gave one example, for a car that is rather exotic to say the least, an R8. I can give two examples to the contrary. The BMW M3/M5 allows for upgrading to a performance wheel, and can be done so individually or as part of an additional package. You pay to upgrade, and aren't forced into the highest price wheel but don't get any relief if you go with lower-end wheels as with the Model S. Also the Mercedes AMG series offers 4 wheel options each priced differently. It's not as if they charge you for the most expensive one without a change in price if you were to one select of the lower-end ones.

Ultimately Tesla had a decision to make. They could have very well allowed the option for variable priced wheels for the Performance edition, just as they do with the base model. Putting the wheels on is the last item of business off the assembly line and there's no logistical reason not to offer all options at variable cost. But they chose to do something that was clearly in their best interest and at the expense of the customer. They obviously have every right to do what they choose. And even if everyone else was doing it that way (which is not the case given the M3 and AMG examples), it doesn't mean Tesla would have to follow suit. They're breaking the mold on a lot of things when it comes to making cars. When Tesla makes a different, yet unpopular decision, such as the lack of storage in the interior, people defend them because they're being original. But when they do something apparently similar to industry trends, but also unpopular, such as the lack of variable pricing on the wheels for the performance edition, people defend them for being no different than anyone else. Can't have it both ways

OK, continue with the swapping discussion